Christy

Hello, my name is Christy. In January 2009 I was diagnosed with HER2 positive, stage 2b Breast Cancer. I had 16 rounds of Chemotherapy (for 1 year) along with 5 surgeries that range from implanting a port to removing 13 Lymph Nodes – Mastectomy and reconstruction. And,also 6 weeks of radiation, which caused stage 1 lymphedema in my left arm. Despite all of the sickness from my treatments, soreness from surgeries and losing all of my hair for a year, I always remained positive and strong no matter what. I have been with my husband for 29 years and he stood by my side and helped to encourage me. I even worked as much as I could throughout all of my treatments and surgeries. I’m a hairstylist and didn’t want to lose my clientele that I had worked so hard to build for over 20 years. My Mom passed away from cancer when she was 48 years old and I am now at the age that she was when she passed away.And I lost my Dad 3 years ago to heart problems. I know all too well how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle by doing what is right for my body. Thinking back, I can remember the time when I lived three weeks at a time between doctors’ appointments, test results and uncertainty, wondering if I would live much longer. It’s a bad memory but it reminds me of how fortunate I am to be alive and healthy 8 years later. Thank you God.